Herbstalk: Somerville to get connected with healing herbs at festival

For the second year, Herbstalk will offer inside information about healing herbs at The Armory in Somerville.

Dandelion "weeds" are edible, according to an Herbstalk organizer. Photo: 123rf.com/

For the second year, Herbstalk will offer inside information about healing herbs at The Armory in Somerville.

Herbalist Steph Zabel said the event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, will teach people how to treat everyday ailments with herbs, and identify plants that grow wild in the Boston-area.

"Most people don’t know a lot about herbalism. Sometimes its perceived as being very dangerous, but our mission is to change that," she said.

Another perception she hopes to change is the association between herbalism and marijuana.

"Yeah, we have come up against that unfortunately, which was never the intent of the name (Herbstalk)," said Zabel. "We don’t have any classes about marijuana use. Our main focus is really on medicinal plants."

Some local plants that grow wild include dandelion, shepherd's perch, burdock and Yellow Dock Root, according to Zabel.

Herbstalk hosts will take guests on "plant walks," and also intend to sell herbal products.

"We hope to show people that these plants grow around us all the time. You don’t have to go into the wild to find them."